The bio-technology startup bioMason, headed by founder Ginger Krieg Dosier, recently introduced an innovative brick that is grown rather than fried. These naturally-grown bricks are made from sand and bacteria, which grow to produce natural cement. The needed building blocks for these bricks are abundant in nature across the globe and can be extracted from waste streams. The natural cementation of bioMason’s bricks occurs in ambient temperatures, which is one of their biggest advantages.(more…)

The Louisville, CO-based company Rhino Cubed has recently unveiled a custom made, shipping container home design which will be available in 3 models. The homes are designed in a way that honors their shipping container origins. However, the company has managed to transform them into cozy and unique homes, that are sustainable, portable and affordable. In addition to that, the future owners will also be able to choose between an on on-the-grid or an off-the-grid option.(more…)

The commercial sector, which includes commercial and institutional buildings as well as street and highway lighting, consumes the majority of kilowatt-hours of energy per year, which is why it is so important that they start using LED based lighting. Most of these commercial buildings and places are also fitted with fluorescent sockets based on the T8 standard. This is the main reason why developing T8 LED lamps could have such a huge impact on conserving energy.(more…)

Eco Lodge is a modern cabin in the Australian bushland, built entirely of local and recycled materials and with a number of renewable energy features. The house was designed by the firm Hare + Klein.(more…)

Linda Yates and Paul Holland had decided long ago that they wanted to build a home that would meet very stringent conservationist expectations. More precisely, they wanted to construct a home that would fit into its ecosystem perfectly while restoring the land around it to a state that existed before widespread human settlement began. The construction of the Tah.Mah.Lah. House (which means “mountain lion” in Native American Ohlone) was finished in 2011 and has since earned the LEED Platinum for Homes certification.(more…)

The Parce One smart plug works by measuring and controlling the energy usage of your electronic devices. The plug is Wi-Fi enabled, so it also gives users access to detailed reports and even suggestions on how to reduce energy use. The makers of the Parce One smart plug have recently run a successful IndieGoGo campaign and the funds they raised will go towards the further development of the plug with a view towards mass production in the near future.(more…)